Influential U

Jillian Formentin's journey to becoming the Australian Professional Engineer of the Year wasn’t just about mastering technical skills—it was about mastering her own narrative. Through intentional career decisions, embracing her strengths, and crafting a compelling story, Jillian has created a career that not only elevates her but inspires others.Jillian’s journey to becoming an influential leader in the engineering community started long before she was awarded the prestigious title of Australian Professional Engineer of the Year. Growing up, Jillian was always seen as career-focused. However, it wasn’t until later in her career that she realized the importance of directing her trajectory in a purposeful way. She recalls the difficulty in answering the classic career question: "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" For years, she couldn’t pinpoint a clear direction.However, things began to change about 10 years ago when Jillian was consulting in the fields of safety, leadership, and team development. Though her consulting career was both fulfilling and lucrative, she yearned for more autonomy in her career decisions. It was then that she decided to take control of her professional narrative, diving into FOT (Fundamentals of Transaction) training in 2016.

Helen Kearney is a sales recruiter for a global software company. Her life's journey and her career specialization allow us to examine the question that we all - at one time or another - find ourselves asking: what is my perfect job (or purpose or life's mission)?As she explains, many people are exceptionally naive about their professional value. They may not understand their involvement in the larger transaction and the realities of their role in the marketplace. As such, she says, they often fail to consider or understand the needs of the employer and their concerns. Like any good marraige or satisfying position, a job is a reciprocal transaction.Near the end of the episode, you'll also hear Helen's tips for your preparing your LinkedIn profile, resume, and job interview.Podcast Bonuses:ThriveCode: 30 DaysHelen Kearney on LinkedIn

Having more than doubled her income and moving her company's market position from #57 to #1, Kim Corbett is an account executive who considers herself a turnaround agent, turning around the sales of failing or emerging companies. She's a top performer with a proven track record for growing revenues and increasing an organization’s profitability. Always ambitious, she had previously struggled to get beyond her current income range — until studying with Influence Ecology. In this interview, you'll learn what changed. We'll also hear a segment of a recent Fundamentals of Transaction Program classroom webinar. Here, Vice President Drew Knowles and Co-Founder John Patterson discuss the subject of "Autonomy." Traditionally thought of as a "condition of independence," we reorient our students to think of Autonomy as a "Surplus of Help."Podcast Bonuses:ThriveCode: 30DAYSKim Corbett on LinkedIn

Having endured an expensive journey to consider a career change, Joanna Burgraf found that to follow your passion was the worst piece of advice she'd ever gotten. Joanna is a Chicago-based senior lead for an award-winning creative services team managing ten brands at Enova International, a company using technology to develop innovative financial products. You'll hear how this fashionable but naive empowerment slogan shifted her focus — from working on being a valued cooperative member of a larger team — to the self-engrossed, navel-gazing, isolating habit of finding one’s true "Self."In this episode's talk, Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels. This talk originally aired earlier this year — and we can't study it enough. Recorded in May of 2015, this webinar introduces three different orientations to action: Self-Action, Inter-Action, and Trans-Action. As we are the leading business education in trans-actional competence this segment is designed to illustrate the naivety and danger of Self-Action.Podcast Bonuses:ThriveCode: 30DAYSJoanna Burgraf on LinkedInEnova InternationalTransactionalismNote: Self-Action, Inter-Action, and Trans-Action are terms introduced in Transactionalism: An Historical and Interpretive Study (Influence Ecology. Phillips, Trevor J., 2015-11-22. Tibbels, Kirkland; Patterson, John, eds.) and in Knowing and the Known (Dewey, John; Bentley, Arthur Fisher. 1949-01-01. Beacon Press).

As a property developer, John Baigent lost practically everything in the global financial crisis of 2007-2009, then recovered just in time to lose it all again in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, a quake that caused widespread damage in New Zealand's second-largest urban area. He's not only overcome what would sink most people — he also continues to thrive.In this episode's talk, Co-Founders John Patterson and Kirkland Tibbels discuss how most people just lack the ambition to live as they aspire to live . . . that they'll wait for life to "turn out" and do not produce the situations, conditions, and environments they require to live a productive and satisfying life.John Baigent is not like "most people."Podcast Bonuses:ThriveCode: 30DAYSChristchurch Property Projects

In this episode of the Influential U podcast, host John Patterson chats with Jenn Oliver, Senior Director of Service for the Academic Division at the University of Virginia's HR Department.Jenn, a self-identified Producer personality, shares her transformative journey from being overextended and burnt out to cultivating balance and alignment in both her personal and professional life.Through her five-year study with Influential U, Jenn learned to prioritize herself, embrace the strengths and limitations of her personality, and engage effectively with others of different temperaments. She offers candid insights about her struggles, the cost of putting others before herself, and the profound shifts she’s experienced in her relationships, career, and identity.Listen as Jenn discusses how embracing "gray areas," leveraging collaborative relationships, and valuing others’ perspectives have not only enhanced her influence at work but also strengthened her family life. This inspiring conversation is filled with actionable takeaways for anyone striving to navigate their personality in the transactions of life.In this episode's talk, Drew Knowles and Kirkland Tibbels explore the power of saying “no” with clarity and grace, emphasizing how your aims and commitments guide what invitations, offers, and requests to accept or decline. Kirkland shares a Hollywood story highlighting the importance of respecting your offers and those extended to you. Learn why the ability to decline defines your success as much as the opportunities you embrace. Podcast Bonuses:ThriveCode: 30DaysJenn Oliver on LinkedInThe University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia, Human ResourcesVideo: Why put your mask on first

Before embarking on a full-time real estate career, Karina Christensen was part of the personal flight team for American business guru Jack Welch and media proprietor Oprah Winfrey, having the opportunity to travel with them for many years around the world and cultivate within herself what it takes to partner with high-profile clientele successfully.As a specialist now working with Keller Williams Luxury Homes International, she and her team specialize in luxury condominiums in Denver, Colorado. Having lived in Munich, London, Singapore, and Montana, Karina followed the sage wisdom, "you are the company you keep," and built her career by nurturing coveted relationships. Attracted to this education and its influential ecology of peers, Karina learned that 'relationship' is only one of many powerful tools and unlocked the ceiling on her income and satisfaction.Podcast Bonuses:ThriveCode: 30DaysKarina Christensen on LinkedIn

After ten years with a nationally recognized financial planning practice, Wesley Pingelton had ambitions to go out on his own. In doing so, he got what he wanted: great success, creative freedom, and the opportunity to work with the right client. But with each complex case, a unique solution produced a massive amount of labor. In a short time, he cringed at the thought of growing his business.You'll hear how he learned to construct a business model that's allowed him to scale his business, meet his financial goals, and truly enjoy his family life.In today's talk, you'll hear Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels and I address how most people make offers they are unfit to present, commit to, or fulfill. Many just cannot prove that they are fit to build and maintain the transactions that would satisfy their aims.Podcast Links:ThriveCode: 30DAYSFull Circle WealthWesley Pingelton on Linkedin

They got everything they asked for: record deals, international notoriety, playing big arenas (touring with Coldplay, Pink, Bon Jovi, and Rod Stewart), but recording artists Isaac and Thorald Koren (The Kin) hadn't quantified what to wish for or how to transact for it. Naively assuming their talent, passion, and fame would eventuate into their personal and financial satisfaction, they confronted a sea of indifference and inventoried their lessons to help others. They launched the Alchemy of Creative Expression (A.C.E.), developing a method to help the talented musician, artist, or executive unleash their unique voice and turn their talent into gold.In this episode's talk, we'll hear Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels address the importance of both knowing your aims — and transacting accordingly.

Tim Guest, Managing Director of Infinite Wealth, helps everyday Australians reach their financial goals. After having first retired at the age of 27 as a self-made multimillionaire, he is now an investor, entrepreneur, financial educator, and motivational speaker and author well known for leading seminars promoting financial literacy and education. Thousands of people each year attend his seminars, making him currently the most watched independent financial educator in Australia. His entrepreneurial journey includes some valuable lessons about the cost and complexity of rapid growth and how his study with Influential U dramatically changed the way he operates his businesses.Tim Guest shares his journey of discovering his true personality type through Influential U's transactional competence training. Tim explains how understanding his natural strengths allowed him to create high-value, low-cost transactions in business by placing the right people in the right roles, ultimately boosting productivity and job satisfaction. He also offers valuable insights into common financial misconceptions, the importance of investing in assets, and actionable steps to achieve financial independence. Tune in for practical advice on mastering money and building a fulfilling life.Podcast Bonus:Influentialu.global/thriveCode: 30DAYS

Join us for an insightful conversation with Janet Asher Vreeland as she reflects on her transformative journey with Influence Ecology. Starting with her early struggles as a natural "performer" personality type, Janet shares candidly about the challenges she faced in balancing her desire to be liked with the need to engage productively with other personality types. Through her studies, she learned to tailor her approach to different people, cultivating a deeper empathy and strategic mindset that has transformed her career, relationships, and life.In this episode, Janet and host John Patterson dive into topics like understanding the four personality types in transactional behavior, dealing with indifference, and how performers can refine their natural strengths to achieve greater impact. Whether you’re navigating office dynamics, aiming to refine your approach to transactions, or curious about how personality influences success, Janet’s journey offers valuable lessons and practical insights.Podcast Bonuses:Thrive: https://influentialu.global/thrive/ Coupon code: 30DAYSMercer Health & Benefits LLC

Shonit Jagmohan is an optometrist living in Melbourne, Australia. As a health and ambitious business professional, he offers an excellent case study in specialization, authority, and scarcity.In this episode, John and Shonit dive deep into the often-overlooked concept of the Condition of Life "Work" and how personal reflection on what you don’t want can shape a fulfilling career and life. They explore the societal pressures that push us toward certain norms, like working hard for the sake of it, and how to break free from those expectations by getting clear on your own aims. Shonit shares his personal journey of realizing that declining unfounded or unrealistic goals in his professional life helped him build authority and focus.They discuss the power of deliberate practice in declining, especially for those with a Performer personality who naturally avoid confrontation, and the importance of questioning societal norms that encourage acceptance without critical thinking.This episode is packed with valuable insights for anyone looking to refine their professional focus, build authority, and learn the art of saying "no" to create a more intentional, balanced life.

Tune into this Classics episode of the Influential U podcast, where John Patterson sits down with music industry legend Marcus Bell. Marcus, who began his musical journey at the tender age of two, reveals the work ethic and discipline that have fueled his impressive career.From his early days in a makeshift recording studio to collaborating with major artists like Usher and Britney Spears, Marcus emphasizes the importance of perseverance, dedication, and strategic focus.This episode offers a deep dive into the principles and practices that can drive success in any field. Don't miss this chance to gain valuable insights and practical advice on building a stellar career through hard work and commitment!Kirkland Tibbles’ talk revolves around the idea that our interactions and exchanges with others are fundamental to how we navigate and shape our world. Tibbles highlights that recognizing these personality types and understanding their roles in the transaction cycle can enhance how to collaborate and achieve our goals.Podcast Bonus:Thrive: https://influentialu.global/thrive/Coupon code: 30DAYS